Hosting Thanksgiving dinner for the first time

Typically, Thanksgiving dinner is a no-brainer for me. I simply get in the car, have my husband drive us to my parents’ house and a few hours later I am seated in front of a festive dinner prepared by my folks. This year is a little different. My parents decided that they were no longer hosting Thanksgiving dinner. So I told them to come to our place for Thanksgiving for a change. Therefore, I now find myself hosting my first Thanksgiving dinner.

One thing is for certain: I have no desire to cook the bird myself. I am thinking about getting the meal catered. But there are so many options that it becomes somewhat overwhelming. Plus since I have always had my Thanksgiving turkey straight out of the oven, I am unsure if I would enjoy a pre-cooked turkey as much.

Another option that I am considering is taking my folks out for Thanksgiving. Being that there will only be four in our party, that does seem like a reasonable idea. The prices for a prix fixe Thanksgiving meal around here is in the range of $50 to $76 per person. And I am not sure any turkey dinner could ever be worth that price.

Then there are the Thanksgiving buffets. The nicer ones are about $35 per person, and the chain restaurants are offering their Thanksgiving buffet at only about $13 per person. Finally, there is always Boston Market. Their dinner plate is only about $10, and I have always been a fan of their food. I will continue to think about my options for the remainder of the day. But if you were me, which option would you go up with?